1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the storage of electric energy at a high voltage in a limited volume. It mainly concerns compact pulse generators having a high stored energy density per unit volume, these generators being constructed according to the principle of the Marx generator having a line discharge or a capacitive discharge.
Marx generators employ components (resistors, capacitors, lines having localized or distributed constants, spark gaps) which are mechanically and electrically assembled.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Owing to their geometrical shapes, the elements, ensuring the storage of the energy while generally having an interesting energy density, do not permit the employment of all the useful internal space of the generator for the storage of the energy.
In these known devices, the spark gaps are independent and pressurized and the electrodes are maintained in an insulating and sealed frame. The use of pressurized sealed spark gaps increases the difficulties of construction of the generator and its cost. The fact that the spark gaps are independent requires the triggering of the first spark gaps of the generator.
The dielectric rigidity required for the correct operation of the generators is ensured by an insulating gas or a high voltage oil. The presence of the high voltage oil results in an increase in the weight, the volume (storage tank) and the price of the generator (filtering, storage, pumping system and price of the oil). Further, the servicing operations are long and not easy to accomplish.
Consequently, the known high voltage pulse generators have the following drawbacks:
low energy storage density per unit weight and volume; PA1 difficulty in constructing and high cost in manufacturing the spark gaps; PA1 necessity of triggering several of the spark gaps; PA1 long, delicate and costly servicing operations.
An object of the invention is therefore to overcome the drawbacks of high voltage pulse generators by providing a generator which, owing to an extreme integration of its components, has a high energy density per unit weight and volume.
The invention therefore provides an energy storage device having a high voltage and high energy, said device comprising storage elements disposed in concentric ring arrangements on insulating separating elements, the storage elements of one ring arrangement being connected by one of their ends to the storage elements of the preceding ring arrangement and by their other end to the storage elements of the following ring arrangement, the assembly being mounted on a core of hard insulating material provided with a central bore and embedded in a coating of semi-flexible insulating material.
The invention also provides a high voltage and high energy pulse generator comprising energy storage devices of the type defined hereinbefore and resistors associated with said storage devices embedded in the semi-flexible insulating coating material.